IBM AI courses: which to take (2026)
Start with IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate, first in our order for IBM: paid, price not recorded yet, beginner level, professional certificate. None of the 8 IBM courses listed here is free.
- Courses listed
- 8 courses
- Free
- None
- Certificate or exam
- 8 with a certificate
All IBM courses we list
| Course | Delivery | Cost | Level | For | Hours | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBM AI Developer Professional CertificateIBM on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Developers and engineers, Students and career changers | 6 months at 4 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| IBM Generative AI Engineering Professional CertificateIBM | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Developers and engineers, Data scientists and analysts | 6 months at 6 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| IBM AI Engineering Professional CertificateIBM | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | Developers and engineers, Data scientists and analysts | 4 months at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| IBM Machine Learning Professional CertificateIBM on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | Data scientists and analysts, Developers and engineers | 3 months to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| IBM RAG and Agentic AI Professional CertificateIBM | Online, self-paced | Free to learnSome parts paid | Advanced | Developers and engineers | 8 weeks at 3 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| IBM AI Product Manager Professional CertificateIBM | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Product managers | 3 months to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Generative AI for Human Resources (HR) Professionals SpecializationIBM on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | HR professionals | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Generative AI for Project Managers SpecializationIBM on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | Project managers | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Certificate |
In what order should I take IBM courses?
Grouped by each course's stated level and whether it ends in an exam or professional certificate, in the table's order within each step. This is our grouping of the provider's stated levels, not a path the provider sets.
- Then: intermediate and advanced courses. Generative AI for Project Managers Specialization.
- To finish: exam or professional certificate. IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate; IBM Generative AI Engineering Professional Certificate; IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate; IBM Machine Learning Professional Certificate; and 3 more in the table.
Which IBM certifications can you earn?
| Certification | Type | Price as shown | Valid for | Who can take it | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate | Course certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not stated by IBM | No requirement listed | Active |
| IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate | Course certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not stated by IBM | No requirement listed | Active |
| IBM AI Product Manager Professional Certificate | Course certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not stated by IBM | Open to anyone | Active |
| IBM Certified watsonx Generative AI Engineer - Associate (C1000-185) | Exam | $200 | Not stated by IBM | No requirement listed | Active |
| IBM Generative AI Engineering Professional Certificate | Course certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not stated by IBM | No requirement listed | Active |
| IBM RAG and Agentic AI Professional Certificate | Course certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not stated by IBM | No requirement listed | Active |
Which IBM AI courses are free?
Some IBM courses we list are free or free to learn: the 1 below. "Free to learn" means the course is free but the certificate or full access costs extra.
- IBM RAG and Agentic AI Professional Certificate: Free to learn, certificate offered.
Other providers
Coursera, DeepLearning.AI, MIT Professional Education, Project Management Institute, or all providers. For certifications across providers, see our AI certifications guide.
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